Feeding mechanism

ABSTRACT

A mechanism for feeding stock in batches from the bottom of a pile of stock located in a primary magazine to a secondary magazine and arranging the items shingle fashion thereupon, a timed conveyor discharging the stock one at a time from the bottom of the secondary conveyor in conjunction with a pair of serially arranged spaced parallel metering rollers which are timed to move incrementally with the conveyor to advance the bottom stock item to a pullout roller assembly, the stock items being metered by a series of retards offset along the path of travel of the item and the downstream retard forming with the second metering roller on intake nip for the bottom item being fed thereinto.

United States Patent Edward S. Godlewski [72] [mentor 2,085,248 6/1937Bishop 271/41 531 Walnut St., Des Plaines, 111. 60616 2,635,874 4/1953La Bore.. 271/35 [21] Appl. No. 830,787 2,766,042 10/1956 Epstein...271/10 [22] Filed June 5,1969 2,779,592 1/1957 Hartman 271/4 [45]Patented Oct. 12,197] 2,907,567 10/1959 Schneider et a1. 271/352,133,263 10/1938 Wolf 271/D1G. 7

Primary Examiner.10seph Wegbreit Assistant ExaminerBruce 1'1. Stoner,Jr. [54 FEEDING MECHANISM Attorney-John J. Kowalik 9 Claims, 6 DrawingFigs.

[52] US. Cl 271/35, ABSTRACT: A mechanism f f di stock in batches from271/41, 271/DIG- 7 the bottom of a pile of stock located in a primarymagazine to [51] Int. Cl B6511 l/06, a Secondary magazine and arrangingthe items Shingk fashion B651 3/06 thereupon, a timed conve or discharing the stock one at a Y 8 [50] Field of Search 2.71/35, 41, i from thebottom of the Secondary conveyor in conjunc 1316- 7 tion with a air ofseriall arranged s aced parallel metering P y P 56 R f d rollers whichare timed to move incrementally with the con- 1 e cream l e veyor toadvance the bottom stock item to a pullout roller as- UNITED STATESPATENTS sembly, the stock items being metered by a series of retards566,671 8/1896 Dummer 271/35 offset along the path of travel of the itemand the downstream 1,561,821 11/1925 Bessat et al. 271/19 retard formingwith the second metering roller on intake nip 1,948,362 2/ 1934 Staude271/35 for the bottom item being fed thereinto.

34 l o v 9 6 l 31 il 8 l 41 l0 13 I222 ll 21 IO I3 I222 u 2| SHEET 10F 29O 32 2 Inventor 1 Edward S.Godlewski syw/x w mg Q m w PATENTEDum 12 IanFIGQ 4mg 4 m Attorney PATENTEnum 12 IBYI SHEET 2 BF 2 98 Inventor EdwardS.Godlewski rau-x a Attorney FEEDING MECHANISM DISCUSSION OF THE PRIORART In prior art devices a single magazine has been used with a meteringgate arranged to form with the bottom of the magazine a metering slot ofa vertical dimension for issuing the bottom item. This mechanismpresupposes that each such item, such as a sheet of paper is absolutelyflat. Any bend or curl in the edge frustrates the operation. Items, suchas stuffed envelopes, must be jogged to bring all of the material in theenvelope to one end. If any envelope is not properly prepared, twoenvelopes will issue one which has a thin end and one with a thick end.These problems have continuously plagued the industry until the adventof the instant invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention is directed to a bottom feedmechanism which issues stock item-by-item regardless of the relativethicknesses of the adjacent superposed items.

A general object of the invention is to provide a novel feeder which hasa retard assembly superposed with the metering roller and whichforcertain applications can be adjusted to provide at least a pair ofretards one ahead of the other in intercepting relation to stock itemsbeing delivered thereto and which function to fan the items and thedownstream retard engaging the lowest item and the upstream retardtemporarily engaging the next item above the bottom item and releasingsuch next item to drop onto the conveyor therebelow as soon as thelowermost item is withdrawn.

A more specific object is to provide a novel feeding mechanism whichcompriss primary and a secondary magazines and means for feeding itemsfrom the primary magazine in blocks and means for feeding itemsindividually from the bottom of the blocks of stock in the secondarymagazine.

A further object is to provide a novel bottom feeder which will feedindividual intermixed items of different thickness from the bottom ofthe stack regardless of the texture thereof.

Another object is to provide a novel control for feeding items in blocksfrom one magazine to another in accordance with predeterminedrequirements.

A further object is to provide a novel metering roller assembly whichcomprises a pair of rollers one of which drives a conveyor underposedwith respect to a magazine and is sequentially actuated to advance anitem to a second roller driven with the first roller for a predeterminedtime to enter a feed roller which is driven for a longer time, thesecond roller incorporating a one-way clutch so as to enable it torotate while drive is interrupted thereto to facilitate withdrawal ofthe item therefrom by the pullout roller assembly.

These and other objects and advantages inherent in and encompassed bythe invention will become more readily apparent from the specificationsand the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of my novel feeding mechanism takensubstantially on line 11 of FIG. 2 with parts removed and parts shown insection to the illustration; wall FIG. 2 is a top plan view of thefeeding mechanism;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the roller mechanism and drive therefor;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken substantially on line4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged side elevation view of the pull out rollerassembly taken essentially on line 5-5 of FIG. 1, and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged section taken substantially on line 6- 6 of FIG.2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The novel bottom feeder generallydesignated 1 comprises a framework broadly indicated 2 which includes apair of laterally spaced vertical sidewalls 3 and 4 and interveninginterconnecting braces 5 and 6.

Primary and secondary hoppers or magazines 7 and 8 are mounted betweenthe sidewalls 3 and 4. The primary magazine is adapted to carry a largequantity of stock items 9, 9. Bottom transverse plates 10, 10 areprovided which at their lateral edges are seated upon the slides orsupports 11, 11. The pair of plates 10, 10 define a transverse slot 12therebetween which admit adjusting bolts 13, 13 therethrough, the boltsextending through horizontal flanges 14, 14 which are part of uprightguides I5, 15 and secure them in laterally adjusted positions equal tothe width of the stock 9 positioned therebetween.

Intermediate the guides 15, 15 there is disposed the top run 16 of anendless belt 17 of a conveyor generally designated 18. The belt 17 istrained about a drive shaft pulley 20 and an idler pulley 21. The belthas its top run 16 running above plates 10 and its return run 22 belowthe plates.

The supports 11 and the primary magazine is inclined toward thesecondary magazine 8 and the delivery end 26 is controlled by a meteringplate or gate 27 which is adjustably secured by a bolt 28 operating in avertical slot (not shown) to a front plate 29 of the magazine 7, saidplate being 29 being pivotally or tiltably mounted on a horizontal axisvia a shaft 30 which is secured by bolts 32, 32 to the mounting blocks34, 34 which are secured to the sideplates 3 and 4. The lower endportion 35 of metering plate 27 is angled downwardly outwardly andserves to fan the items 9 as these are discharged in batches shinglefashion into the secondary magazine 8 as best seen in FIG. 1 until thelevel raises the arm 37 and trips the switch 38, mounted on brace 5,which controls an electric clutch 39 which connects a driving sprocket40 mounted on drive shaft 41 which is connected to the driving pulley20.

Sprocket 40 is connected by chain 42 to a sprocket 43 which is connectedto a shaft 44 joumaled in bearings in sidewalls 3 and 4. Shaft 44carries a pair of axially slit rollers 45, 46 of elastomer material suchas polyeurathane. A freewheeling idler pulley 47 is joumaled on shaft 44and serves as a support for a conveyor belt 48 trained thereabout, saidbelt 48 being trained about a drive pulley 49 connected to a drive shaft50 joumaled in bearings in the sidewalls 3 and 4.

The belt 48 has its top run trained over the bottom plate 49' of thesecondary or metering hopper 8 and which carries a pair of laterallyadjustable guide plates 50', 50' which are provided with threaded bosses51 for receiving the bolts 52 which are slidable in a slot 53 in amounting cross brace 54 connected at opposite ends to sides 3 and 4.

The brace 54 mounts a center retard assembly 55 and a pair of flankingroller assemblies 56, 56 which may function either as retards or asguide rollers and are in advance of the retard roller 57 of assembly 55with respect to the direction of movement of the stock items 9 as seenin FIG. 1.

The retard assembly 55 comprises a mounting block 60 which is notched at61 to complementally receive the mounting bar 54 to which it is securedby a bolt 62 which extends through slot 53 and is threaded as at 63 intothe block 60 and has a head 63 bearing against side 64 of the bar.

The upper end of the block 60 is provided with a horizontal abutment 65which serves as a seat at 66 for the upper end of a compression spring67 which is sleeved on an adjusting bolt 68 upon which is threaded acompression nut 69 providing a seat for the lower end of spring 67. Theupper end portion 70 of bolt 68 has a stop nut threaded 70' thereonwhich engages the top side 71 of the abutment 65. The lower end 72 ofbolt 68 is pivoted to an arm 73 at 74 intermediate its ends and arm 73is pivoted at one end at 75 to the lower end of block 60 and at itsother end is secured as by a transverse bolt 76' to an annular retarddisc 57 of elastomer material such as polyeurathane, the disc beingnonrotatable but adapted to be turned after wear upon loosening of bolt76'.

The disc 57 is adjusted toward the metering roller assembly 77 toprovide a proper intake nip 78 for a single item 9 as best seen in FIG.l.

The other roller-retard assemblies 56, 56 and the parts thereof are inessence constructed identical to the assembly 55 and mounted to bar 54and are identically numbered. However, the arms 73' which correspond toarm 73 are shorter and thus as best seen in FlGS. 1 and 2 and theirdiscs 76 are in advance of disc 57. In certain applications these discs76 are adjusted to rotate about their individual axis of bolts 76. Wheremore than one item feeds through as when the items are of uneventhickness from end to end then one or both of the discs 76 are lockedagainst rotation and serve as a retard. These discs 76 when acting asretards function not only to fan the items as seen in FIG. 4 but also tohold the items 9 above the lowermost item 9 from entering the nip 78.The lowermost item 9 slides under those above in the small pile in theauxiliary hopper and is assisted into the nip 78 by the conveyorassembly of radially slit rollers 80, 80 of elastomer material of rubberor synthetic plastic as the previous rollers connected to shaft 50, andby the belt conveyor 48.

The metering roller assembly 77 comprises in addition to the rollers 82,82 made of elastomer material synthetic or rubber, a drive shaft 83which is connected to rollers 82, shaft 83 being joumaled in bearings inthe side frames 3 and 4 and having a spur gear 84 connected theretomeshing with a counter or reversing gear 85 joumaled on stub shaft 86mounted on side frame 4, gear 85 meshing with gear 89 connected to theshaft 50 which is periodically connected and disconnected to a drivingspur gear 90 thereon by an electrical synchroning clutch 91 which isconnected by leads 92, 93 to a switch 88 serving signal source on thereceiving mechanism such as, for example, an imprinter.

The spur gear 90 meshes with a reversing gear 94 joumaled on stub shaft95 carried on frame member 4, the gear 94 meshing with gear 96 connectedto a shaft 97 joumaled in bearings on frames 34, shaft 97 beingconnected to a roller 98 and providing a continuously running pulloutroller assembly. The roller 97 cooperates with an opposing cooperatingfreerunning roller 99 joumaled on shaft 100 carried from an investedU-shaped yoke 101 which has a pair of vertical guide rods 102, 102slidable in vertical opening 103, 103 in a support block 104 adjustablysecured to a supporting traverse bar 105 carried at opposite ends onside frames 3 and 4.

The roller 99 is spring biased downwardly by a compression spring 107which is sleeved on an adjusting bolt 108 and seats at its lower endagainst the adjusting nut 109 threaded on bolt 108 and at its upper endagainst the underside 110 of the block 104. The downward movement of theroller 99 is controlled by a nut 112 threaded on bolt 108 and seatedagainst the top side 113 of the block, bolt 108 extending throughvertical opening 114 in block 104.

The pullout roller shaft 97 has a gear 115 connected thereto meshingwith gear 116 which is connected to any source of power such as anelectric motor or any suitable power shaft of the receiving unit as willbe known to those skilled in the art.

Shaft 97 has a sprocket 118 driving a chain 119 which drives a sprocket120 connected to shaft 44 which is continuously driven, it beingunderstood that the rollers 45, 46 carried thereby serve as transitionconveying means for transferring the items dropped thereupon from theupper or principal hopper when when the electrical clutch 39 connectsthe sprocket 40 with shaft 41 when demand is made by the switch 38 whenthe level of the pile of stock items in the secondary hopper drops belowa predetermined minimum height.

It will be observed that by providing two hoppers the load on themetered hopper is controlled. ln order to move the bottom item in themetered hopper the conveyor belt 48 must move with the first meteringroller assembly 20 including the shaft 50 and rollers 80, 80 ofelastomer material thereon and also the second metering roller assembly77, which is connected by one-way clutch 133 to gear 84, must movesufircient distance to move the item to the pullout rollers. Movement ofthe metering rollers 82 and belt 48 is controlled in phased sequencewith demand requirements of the receiving mechanism or by closing theswitch 88 in the circuit of the electrically energized lines 92, 93. Theroller assembly 82 will overrun the gear 84 when drive is stopped by thepullout roller assembly 98, 99 pulling out the item 9 which at themoment is entered therebetween.

Having described a preferred embodiment other modifications will besuggested within the purview of the invention and the mere descriptionis not intended to be per se limiting in any sense.

What is claimed is:

1. In a feeder, a primary hopper adapted to be filled with a high stackof stock items, a secondary hopper for loading with a small stack ofsuch items, cooperative means in both hoppers for delivering itemsunidirectionally from the bottom of the high stack in the primary hopperand imbricately arranging the items in the small stack and deliveringsuch small stack as a unit to a discharge of the secondary hopper,metering roller means for pulling the items from the bottom of the stackin the secondary hopper, supplementary means cooperatively arranged withsaid metering roller means for further imbricately arranging said itemsso that each item is offset forwardly from the one above in thesecondary hopper and the bottom item alone feeds into the meteringmeans, a pullout roller assembly in receiving relation to said meteringroller assembly, means for driving part of said cooperative means in thesecondary hopper and said metering roller assembly for transferring thebottom items from the secondary hopper to the metering roller assemblyand thereby to the pullout roller assembly, and means operative betweenthe driving means and said metering roller assembly accommodatingoverrunning thereby of the drive means at a time beyond the terminationof the drive to the metering means to permit the pullout roller assembly to complete pullout of the item from the metering rollerassembly.

2. The invention according to claim I and said retard means comprising acylindrical element, means mounting said element for yieldable verticalmovement, and at least one roller segment rotatable on an axistransverse of the direction of movement of the items and disposed inadvance of the retard and having a peripheral contour engaging the endsof the items and arranging them in eschelon with each item offsetfarther away than the item below from the retard means.

3. A feeder having a hopper, means disposed to deliver blocks of stockitems into the hopper and imbricately arrange them in a pile therein,metering means at the delivery end of the hopper, means terminatingadjacent to said metering means for discharging the items from thebottom of the pile into the metering means, said metering meanscomprising an intermittently running roller assembly rotatable on asubstantially horizontal axis, a yieldably mounted retard comprising acylinder of elastomer material forming a nip with the roller assembly,an adjustable spring-biased auxiliary wheel assembly having an axis ofrotation disposed before the axis of rotation of the roller assembly,and positioned between the end of said discharging means and said rollerassembly and superposed with respect to said roller assembly in positionto engage the adjacent edges of the imbricately arranged items andoperative to further arrange the items in said imbricate arrangement atthe metering roller assembly and operative to sweep over each successiveitem at the bottom of the stack and advance the same into said nip.

4. The invention according to claim 3 and means for locking the meteringwheel from rotation so as to function as a retard at the option of theoperator.

5. A mechanism for feeding stock items from the bottom of a pilecomprising first and second communicatively arranged magazines wherein ahigh pile of stock items are loaded in said first magazine, conveyingmeans on the bottom of said second magazine, means for feeding aquantity of items from the bottom of the pile in the first magazine in apredetennined direction into the second magazine to fonn a small stackof items of predetermined height therein on said conveying means andattendant to the movements of said conveying means arranging the itemsimbricately in the second magazine, said conveying means disposed tomove the imbricately arranged stack in the aforesaid direction to adelivery end thereof, arranging means at said delivery end of saidconveying means disposed in intercepting relation to the adjacent end ofthe stack for further arranging the items shingle fashion so that eachitem from the bottom to the top of the stack is projected at itsdelivery end slightly ahead of the item thereabove, metering means fordischarging successive items from the bottom of the stack for deliveryto associated mechanism and comprising a metering roller assemblydisposed at the delivery end of said second magazine, means forintermittently driving said metering means in predetermined sequence,pullout roller means disposed to receive items from said metering means,means for driving said pullout roller means for a period longer thanthat at which said metering means is driven, and said means for drivingthe metering roller assembly including a one-way clutch whereby saidassembly is freely rotatable upon discontinuation of drive thereto whilean item is being pulled therefrom by the pullout roller means.

6. A mechanism for feeding stock items from the bottom of a pilecomprising first and second communicatively arranged magazines wherein ahigh pile of stock items are loaded in said first magazine, conveyingmeans on the bottom of the second magazine, means for feeding a quantityof items from the bottom of the pile in the first magazine in apredetermined direction into the second magazine to form a small stackof items of predetermined height therein on said conveying means andattendant to the movements of said conveying means arranging the itemsimbricately in the second magazine, said conveying means disposed tomove the imbricately arranged stack in the aforesaid direction to adelivery end thereof, arranging means at said delivery end of saidconveying means disposed in intercepting relation to the adjacent end ofthe stack for further arranging the items shingle fashion so that eachitem from the bottom to the top of the stack is projected at itsdelivery end slightly ahead of the item thereabove, metering means fordischarging successive items from the bottom of the stack for deliveryto associated mechanism and comprising a metering roller assemblyarranged serially at the delivery end of the conveying means, and saidarranging means comprising downwardly yieldably biased retard meansabove the metering roller assembly and defining an intake nip therewithsubstantially in horizontal alignment therewith, and at least onedownwardly biased adjustable roller segment mounted for rotation on anaxis generally parallel with the metering roller assembly and disposedahead of the retard means toward said conveying means and positionableat selected elevations with respect to the upper portion of saidconveying means and serving to engage said items in said arrangement asthe stack on the conveying means is moved thereby toward said meteringmeans.

7. The invention according to claim 6 and means for locking said rollersegment against rotation so as to function as a re tard.

8. The invention according to claim 6 and a second roller segmentrotatable on an axis coaxial with the first-mentioned roller segment,and said rollers disposed in laterally displaced relation to said retardmeans.

9. The invention according to claim 8 and said retard means comprising acylindrical element of elastomer material and said roller segments beingof elastomer material.

1. In a feeder, a primary hopper adapted to be filled with a high stackof stock items, a secondary hopper for loading with a small stack ofsuch items, cooperative means in both hoppers for delivering itemsunidirectionally from the bottom of the high stack in the primary hopperand imbricately arranging the items in the small stack and deliveringsuch small stack as a unit to a discharge of the secondary hopper,metering roller means for pulling the items from the bottom of the stackin the secondary hopper, supplementary means cooperatively arranged withsaid metering roller means for further imbricately arranging said itemsso that each item is offset forwardly from the one above in thesecondary hopper and the bottom item alone feeds into the meteringmeans, a pullout roller assembly in receiving relation to said meteringroller assembly, means for driving part of said cooperative means in thesecondary hopper and said metering roller assembly for transferring thebottom items from the secondary hopper to the metering roller assemblyand thereby to the pullout roller assembly, and means operative betweenthe driving means and said metering roller assembly accommodatingoverrunning thereby of the drive means at a time beyond the terminationof the drive to the metering means to permit the pullout roller assemblyto complete pullout of the item from the metering roller assembly. 2.The invention according to claim 1 and said retard means comprising acylindrical element, means mounting said element for yieldable verticalmovement, and at least one roller segment rotatable on an axistransverse of the direction of movement of the items and disposed inadvance of the retard and having a peripheral contour engaging the endsof the items and arranging them in eschelon with each item offsetfarther away than the item below from the retard means.
 3. A feederhaving a hopper, means disposed to deliver blocks of stock items intothe hopper and imbricately arrange them in a pile therein, metEringmeans at the delivery end of the hopper, means terminating adjacent tosaid metering means for discharging the items from the bottom of thepile into the metering means, said metering means comprising anintermittently running roller assembly rotatable on a substantiallyhorizontal axis, a yieldably mounted retard comprising a cylinder ofelastomer material forming a nip with the roller assembly, an adjustablespring-biased auxiliary wheel assembly having an axis of rotationdisposed before the axis of rotation of the roller assembly, andpositioned between the end of said discharging means and said rollerassembly and superposed with respect to said roller assembly in positionto engage the adjacent edges of the imbricately arranged items andoperative to further arrange the items in said imbricate arrangement atthe metering roller assembly and operative to sweep over each successiveitem at the bottom of the stack and advance the same into said nip. 4.The invention according to claim 3 and means for locking the meteringwheel from rotation so as to function as a retard at the option of theoperator.
 5. A mechanism for feeding stock items from the bottom of apile comprising first and second communicatively arranged magazineswherein a high pile of stock items are loaded in said first magazine,conveying means on the bottom of said second magazine, means for feedinga quantity of items from the bottom of the pile in the first magazine ina predetermined direction into the second magazine to form a small stackof items of predetermined height therein on said conveying means andattendant to the movements of said conveying means arranging the itemsimbricately in the second magazine, said conveying means disposed tomove the imbricately arranged stack in the aforesaid direction to adelivery end thereof, arranging means at said delivery end of saidconveying means disposed in intercepting relation to the adjacent end ofthe stack for further arranging the items shingle fashion so that eachitem from the bottom to the top of the stack is projected at itsdelivery end slightly ahead of the item thereabove, metering means fordischarging successive items from the bottom of the stack for deliveryto associated mechanism and comprising a metering roller assemblydisposed at the delivery end of said second magazine, means forintermittently driving said metering means in predetermined sequence,pullout roller means disposed to receive items from said metering means,means for driving said pullout roller means for a period longer thanthat at which said metering means is driven, and said means for drivingthe metering roller assembly including a one-way clutch whereby saidassembly is freely rotatable upon discontinuation of drive thereto whilean item is being pulled therefrom by the pullout roller means.
 6. Amechanism for feeding stock items from the bottom of a pile comprisingfirst and second communicatively arranged magazines wherein a high pileof stock items are loaded in said first magazine, conveying means on thebottom of the second magazine, means for feeding a quantity of itemsfrom the bottom of the pile in the first magazine in a predetermineddirection into the second magazine to form a small stack of items ofpredetermined height therein on said conveying means and attendant tothe movements of said conveying means arranging the items imbricately inthe second magazine, said conveying means disposed to move theimbricately arranged stack in the aforesaid direction to a delivery endthereof, arranging means at said delivery end of said conveying meansdisposed in intercepting relation to the adjacent end of the stack forfurther arranging the items shingle fashion so that each item from thebottom to the top of the stack is projected at its delivery end slightlyahead of the item thereabove, metering means for discharging successiveitems from the bottom of the stack for delivery to associated mechanismand comprising a metering roller assembly arranged seRially at thedelivery end of the conveying means, and said arranging means comprisingdownwardly yieldably biased retard means above the metering rollerassembly and defining an intake nip therewith substantially inhorizontal alignment therewith, and at least one downwardly biasedadjustable roller segment mounted for rotation on an axis generallyparallel with the metering roller assembly and disposed ahead of theretard means toward said conveying means and positionable at selectedelevations with respect to the upper portion of said conveying means andserving to engage said items in said arrangement as the stack on theconveying means is moved thereby toward said metering means.
 7. Theinvention according to claim 6 and means for locking said roller segmentagainst rotation so as to function as a retard.
 8. The inventionaccording to claim 6 and a second roller segment rotatable on an axiscoaxial with the first-mentioned roller segment, and said rollersdisposed in laterally displaced relation to said retard means.
 9. Theinvention according to claim 8 and said retard means comprising acylindrical element of elastomer material and said roller segments beingof elastomer material.